Panthers HC Dave Canales speaks on Rashaad Penny's retirement

Rashaad Penny’s body told him it was time to move.

Before hitting the field for their first padded practice on Tuesday, the Carolina Panthers placed the 28-year-old running back on the reserve/retired list. Head coach Dave Canales spoke about the decision at the beginning of his presser this morning.

“It was a really cool opportunity for me to see, I know Rashaad at his best, to see if we could get him to that kind of look,” he stated. “He came up and he just really, he just felt like he wasn’t himself and I had to respect that going forward.”

A first-round draft pick in 2018, Penny shared the Seattle Seahawks sideline with Canales for five seasons. As he told reporters, Canales had a front-row seat to Penny’s prime—when he rushed for a league-leading 6.3 yards per attempt during the 2021 campaign.

Canales continued.

“I don’t understand what that’s like to have a feel, to have a vision and wanting your body to do exactly what you tell it to do and not responding the right way,” he added. “For sure, I was glad to be a part of this process with him just ’cause I’ve known him for so long. And I wish Rashaad the best.”

Penny now hangs up his cleats after a six-year pro career.